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Tunisian minister: ‘$450m expropriated from Ben Ali and his family’

February 20, 2019 at 4:56 am

Former Tunisian President Zine Al-Abidine Ben Ali [Wikipedia]

Tunisian Finance Minister, Ridha Chalghoum, stated that the total value of bank accounts, cash, and properties confiscated from the former president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and his family, amounted to 1.4 billion Tunisian dinars (about $450 million).

During a parliamentary session to discuss the expropriated assets file with the government, on Monday, Chalghoum explained that the ministry has confiscated “368 million Tunisian dinars ($118 million) in the form of bank accounts and cash, in addition to 770 million Tunisian dinars ($248 million) as profits from confiscated companies.”

The minister added that: “238 million Tunisian dinars ($76 million) of property revenues and 28 million Tunisian dinars ($9 million) coming from other financial sources were also seized.

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He indicated that “1.3 billion Tunisian dinars of the value of sales of confiscated properties ($420 million) were directed to the state budget.”

Between 2012 and the end of 2018, 2335 confiscation orders were issued by the National Confiscation Committee, according to Chalghoum.

The confiscation resolutions included 630 properties, 20 commercial investment and 242 accounts in banks and the Tunisian Post; in addition to the acquisition of 211 cars, motorcycles and a yacht, as well as 139 portable objects, such as precious metals, furniture, and firearms.

Shalghoum asserted that “30 companies formerly owned by Ben Ali will be sold in 2019.”